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The online world may seem like a haven, with many of us using it to learn useful knowledge, share our stories and make meaningful connections with others.
However, the digital space is also a breeding ground for criminal content and activities such as scams and malicious cyber activities, as well as other crimes. To address such threats, Parliament passed the Online Criminal Harms Act (OCHA) on 5 July 2023 to enable the Government to deal more effectively with online activities that are criminal in nature.
Since 1 February 2024, the OCHA Office has engaged with Online Service Providers (OSPs) and developed policies to effectively administer the Act.
Police Life caught up with two officers from the OCHA Office – Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Chia Ka Ying, Staff Officer (Planning), and ASP Wahida Abdul Aziz, Staff Officer (Outreach and Engagement). They share what it takes to be effective protectors of the online world!
ASP Chia Ka Ying: Taking the Initiative to Learn in an Emergent Domain
When ASP Chia was offered the chance in January 2024 to join a new unit to address online criminal harms, she knew she couldn’t pass it up. “What drew me to the role was the challenge of developing OCHA Office’s capabilities and processes,” she says. “I wanted to move the needle in fighting online criminal harms.”
As Staff Officer (Planning), ASP Chia wears multiple hats – managing strategic planning, resource management and organisational development at the OCHA Office.
She believes that in a domain where challenges are evolving and emergent, a strong initiative and drive to keep learning are necessary to do the job well. Whether it’s learning about the intent and capabilities employed by threat actors (such as scammers using AI to automate phishing attacks or create deep-faked content), one shouldn’t rely on formal training alone to get up to speed.
As an advocate for self-directed learning, ASP Chia picked up coding in Python in her leisure time. “I hope to enhance the analytics dashboard that I built to better support our enforcement and engagement strategies,” she shares.
For her, this commitment towards continuous learning is essential. “We must have a genuine eagerness to make a difference,” ASP Chia adds. “Since we’re operating in uncharted territory, we need to stay committed to protecting Singapore online users.”
ASP Chia’s duties also include establishing collaborations with foreign law-enforcement or regulatory counterparts to exchange information and best practices. As online criminal harms can originate and be transmitted across boundaries, a shared commitment is key during such engagements.
“When we’re aligned and committed to creating a safer online space,” shares ASP Chia, “the collaborations work better and can be sustained, so that the pressure against threat actors in the online space is kept up.”
ASP Wahida Abdul Aziz: Making Meaningful Connections
ASP Wahida chose to join the OCHA Office due to her experience in public engagement and outreach, skills she developed since her early years as a Police officer.
“This posting allows me to apply my stakeholder management and communication skills,” she explains. “At the OCHA Office, we engage many stakeholders, both local and overseas.”
As Staff Officer for Outreach and Engagement, ASP Wahida builds effective relationships with OSPs, which requires an understanding of the legal, engineering and operational factors these stakeholders face, while ensuring they meet the legal obligations under the OCHA.
According to ASP Wahida, using legislation is a last resort. “Instead, we adopt a data-driven and problem-solving approach with the OSPs,” she explains. “For example, in fighting scams, we share the number, trends and losses related to such cases regularly with the OSPs. We then use the data to evaluate the effectiveness of existing measures and explore new ways to proactively reduce cases and losses.”
The data-sharing must be both timely and actionable. “When OSPs see this impact and learn how our perspectives are guided by data, they come to view us as partners rather than regulators,” adds ASP Wahida. “Furthermore, enhancing online safety makes good business sense – the safer the platform, the more comfortable users will feel using them. Online safety should be seen as an investment for both public benefit and private gains.”
This collaborative approach is reinforced through regular check-ins, which help ASP Wahida to maintain trust with the OSPs. “We need to apply emotional intelligence during difficult conversations with our stakeholders,” she says. “Active listening helps us to understand their concerns and establish common ground in protecting online users.”
To Serve and Safeguard
Both ASP Chia and ASP Wahida acknowledge that protecting Singapore’s online space presents unique challenges, but they are glad to take these on at the OCHA Office.
“Online criminal harm threats are complex and require a collective response,” says ASP Chia. “The OCHA Office, along with the OSPs and stakeholders in the Public Service and private sector, are driving efforts to ensure a safer online space.”
As for ASP Wahida, she finds deep purpose in her work: “It’s about understanding that you’re on the frontlines of online safety and playing our part to protect online users. That’s what makes our work both challenging and meaningful!"
Read more about the other aspects of the OCHA Office’s work in Protectors of the Online World: Behind the Screens.
